A high-ranking official from the United States Department of State said that regimes from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, who are allies to Iran, are “enemies of humanity”. Following the U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, they expressed that this is “a great time” for Latin America to choose a side.
“Today is a great time for the countries in the region to decide which side they are on: if they are going to support a regime that is a state promoter of terrorism, or which other stance they are going to take,” said the official in response to a question made by the Herald in a press conference with Spanish-speaking outlets. The identity of the official was kept anonymous from the press given it was an informative conference.
“This is a decision each country has to consider,” she added. She also mentioned that the attack carried out by the U.S. against Iran on Saturday was “precise” and that it targeted “300 Iranian nuclear facilities.”
The official reiterated comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February, when he said that the Nicaraguan, Venezuelan and Cuban governments are “enemies of humanity.”
“About the attacks, I will only say that it was a precise attack,” the official said after the Herald asked whether the U.S. would try to influence Iran’s Latin American allies, such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua, to change their position in light of the recent events.
The press conference was carried with the goal of sharing the U.S.’ priorities ahead of the Organization of the American States (OAS) 55° General Assembly this week. The official said that, on Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will arrive in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, to participate in the assembly.
The assembly, she said, will “offer a platform to reaffirm the U.S.’s leadership” in the Americas “and support democratic governability and the rule of law.”
The official also said the U.S. will show “strong support” for the candidacy of Rosa María Payá to become a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human rights. Payá is a Cuban dissident, daughter of Oswaldo Payá, a Cuban government opposition member who died in 2012. Secretary Rubio personally nominated Rosa María Payá before the IACHR.
“Payá’s nomination acknowledges her unwavering commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights in our entire hemisphere,” the official said.
She added that the Department of State expects to hold important conversations with the regional allies of the U.S. regarding “tangible and long-lasting solutions to the crisis in Haiti,” which is “severe” amid the displacement of “over a million Haitians” over gang violence.
“The OAS has an important role to play in this crisis. The United States is willing to perform a leading role in this initiative and to collaborate with the OAS in the efforts toward a true change.”